Beowulf Alley Theatre presents
Readers Theatre
Gavin Kayner’s Hokey Pokey
Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Ave, between Broadway and Congress in Downtown Tucson, known for its high quality theatrical productions, presents Hokey Pokey by local playwright, Gavin Kayner at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Admission is pay-what-you-will. Readers Theatre is about the words. The program is designed for the public to hear the words and respond with comments and questions to help the playwright refine the script. Join us for an evening of development and contribute to the playwrighting process. For more information, see http://beowulfalley.org/html/readers_theatre.html or call (520) 882-0555.
The readers for Hokey Pokey are Tony Ross, Gary McGaha, Brian Taraz, Daved Wilkins and Mary Ellen Thompson.
Hokey Pokey Synopsis: What happens when four mad men discover the Hokey Pokey is what its all about?
They find serenity. The journey they take from madness to serenity describes the arc of the play Hokey Pokey.
Ponzi (a con-artist who actually believes in what he sells), Otto (a clown who has no sense of humor), Roget (a writer who never writes) and Harrison (a black magician who nearly died attempting to resurrect himself as a white man) reside in an institution where a television in their common room has kept them from confronting themselves, one another and the absurdity of existence.
On the day the story begins, Monday, the resident responsible for turning on the television is missing and no one has arrived to take his place. In their world, that means the TV must remain off. Panic ensues, stories are told, secrets revealed, masks removed (literally and figuratively) and finally the men come to acceptance of themselves and their place in the world.
Its sweet.
Kayner's plays have won various awards and been produced to full houses and good reviews. Reviews for the recent production of Noche de los Muertos included “full of lyrical writing”, “a brilliant schematic” and “a fine play”.
